March 18, 2012

Virtually no career is exempt from the process of learning, improving and advancing. It’s how we project excellence, serve best, and stay at the top of our game. The field of social work is no exception. Licensed social workers have various rules for license renewal depending on the state. In addition to filing for renewal, licensed socal workers must have record of continued education and training (CE/T) in their chosen field to stay up to date with changing times, evolving practices and client needs. Continuing education units (CEU), or continuing education credits as they are sometimes called, are the primary measures by which requirements are met for renewal. Just as colleges and universities issue credit hours for each course completed, so are CEUs issued when social workers complete training in a specific area.

Conveniently, there are schools and organizations that allow online or distance education courses to earn CEUs or one may choose to study in a regular physical classroom setting. Nevertheless, it is the social worker’s responsibility to investigate and verify that the programs meet the requirements set forth by their particular licensing board. States vary in terms of the number of credits that can be taken online or via home study. (more…)